Devils of Manhattan
by KayCay
Summary: After the events of the Second Outbreak, a rebellious Bioterrorist, the host of a virus and a reborn cyborg team up to take down a destructive, walking infection. Metal Gear/Prototype/inFamous mash-up, AU, possible slash. R&R, T. Sequel to Pandemonium. If you don't like, don't read. :) Cover art by ochibrochi over at deviantART.
1. Alpha

_**I've made it an AU since I wanted my 3 favourite games to be mashed up together and because Pandemonium was successful, I thought 'why not write another?' It's an AU considering the fact that Dana isn't infected (but she was bad-ass, I ain't gonna lie), and James and Amaya Heller, sadly, do not exist. Well, unless you want them to. Oh, and by the way, this is post all games but Prototype is the main theme.**_

_**Enjoy Reading! ;)**_

_**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own the Metal Gear, Prototype or in FAMOUS series. But I do own Siryn. And to be honest, this chapter is a little rushed. **_

* * *

**Alpha**

"Who are we operating on?" A man said to another, walking down the corridors of GENTEK, glancing at a file full of information about their patient.

"Valérie May Tessien, codename Siryn."

"What happened to her?"

"She was affected by the Blast of New Marais but seems to be in a comatose state. She's unresponsive but is still alive, which is a mystery to us all, since every other Conduit died. Even the Saint of New Marais, Cole MacGrath."

"Hmm, interesting. We'll see what we can do." They walked into the room in which the young girl lay, several light slashes coating her toffee skin with a small tube in her nose, her short katanas sitting peacefully on a tray beside her. "We need to research a lot about this girl. She may be the answer to our problems."

"What problems? So, Alex Mercer and PARIAH aren't problems enough?"

"You're right. Okay, why don't you get prepared for the vivisection and I'll inform the scientists of the discovery."

"Why not?" The man left him and the other closed the door, locking it behind him. His clothes rippled, revealing the man underneath. He strode with soundless steps up to the senseless figure and said with a voice of liquid gold, "I see a Conduit has survived the Blast... _How sweet._ I know who you are, and luckily I give second chances. The next time I see you, _however,_ it will be too soon."

OoOoO

"Alex!" Dana shouted out, walking cautiously out of the bathroom. Alex Mercer was sitting on the apartment's balcony, gazing over the calm city of Manhattan. It's been 4 months since there have been no reports of an outbreak, and he liked it better that way. No more accidentally landing face first on a tank, no more being attacked by Hunters or Brawlers. Life, right now, was just how he wanted it to be...

"Alex," she called out again and went to the balcony. "Oh, Alex. Answer me when I call you. I thought you left already."

"Sorry, Dana. Daydreaming."

Smiling and planting a kiss on her brother's cheek, she asked, "Are you gonna do anything? Like... I don't know, kill a field ops team? Do what do you?" Dana detested it when he killed people, infected or not, but some things just had to be done.

"Maybe. I don't feel like doing anything today."

"You sure? 'Cause I found new files you might be interested in. Unless you wanna be a stubborn brat and keep your ass glued to the chair." Dana counted to five under her breath as she watched her brother think hard, finally standing up.

"Let's see the files then." He walked inside and slumped himself on the couch, while she gazed at him for a moment before vanishing into the kitchen.

"To be honest," a voice from the kitchen said, the sounds of clinking mugs grabbing his attention. Coffee. She really enjoyed that. "You should get a girlfriend."

"Yeah, _no,_ I don't think so," the demon replied, strolling into the kitchen without making a single sound.

"Why not? It'd be nice to see someone to save you from eternal depression." _More like trust issues._ She spun around and nearly jumped, Alex's lip twitching in humour. Scowling, she slid past him and walked over to the laptop, placing her mug next to it and tapping several button so the screen lit up a bright white. "Yeah, so while I was hacking Blacknet again, I found this."

Three images were on the screen now, all of this one girl and Alex leaned in to inspect her. The pictures weren't clear but the things he noticed were her distinctive tattoos covering her whole right arm and her half-shaven head. "Who is she?"

"A girl by the codename of Siryn. She's the only surviving Conduit, or should I say 'Bioterrorist' GENTEK knows about."

_"A Conduit?_"

"Yeah. A being with superhuman abilities caused by a rare mutation in their genes. Like Cole MacGrath."

"But... How did she survive? Survive what?"

"Do you know about the Blast of New Marais?"

_"Yeah..."_

"It was supposed to wipe out every Conduit, potential and unlocked. Siryn somehow survived but it's unknown how. GENTEK, amazed by her survival, wanted to perform a vivisection but her status now is inevitable. She's over at the GENTEK building." She pivoted in her chair and already, Alex almost reached the window. "Where you going?"

"Going to find this Siryn girl. Stay here."

Dana shot up from the chair, nearly spilling her coffee. "Wait, you can't leave me here. Take me with you, please?" Alex could never resist the puppy-dog face his sister does. Her eyes would always seem to gleam and grow bigger and she would pout her lips innocently. But somehow, he resisted.

He kissed her forehead, "It's too dangerous. I'll be back soon. I promise."

"Alex?"

"Hm?"

"Be careful, she's volatile."

"I will." Peering at the open window, he darted to it and climbed through, grabbing the building in front and transferred to a quick bolt up it.

Something didn't feel right. Then again, nothing feels right when you know the war wasn't over.


	2. Instincts

**_Yes, I did actually take a section from Pandemonium and slap it in this; only because the detail I used was better than when I tried to rewrite it. Yeah, I know, how unprofessional. Enjoy Reading! ;) _**

**_P.S. If I didn't master Raiden's personality, then imma be pretty annoyed with myself. And it's difficult alone trying to picture him saying what suits him._**

* * *

** Instincts **

The metallic frame advanced fearlessly through the tall building, his customised katana whistling with electricity, as sirens screamed down his ears but not because of his trespassing. The emergency power had the swaying lights flickering at random intervals but it didn't falter the White Devil, who actually seemed to be enjoying the whole kinda stealth mission. He had to secure the girl, _no more._ And she was known to cause carnage impossible to create.

The familiar whispering became faint and the air only got colder as he moved upwards, reaching a floor that was literally doused in bloody black-clad men and he growled defiantly when he realised they tried to tame the _'Bioterrorist'_ that was in captivity. Looking around, it seemed like she didn't waste time impaling troopers or making a mark on the walls, in fact there was at least more marks than he thought. This one girl killed a whole swarm of BLACKWATCH idiots. One versus twenty-six... _Seven._ "She didn't waste time."

He stepped over and manoeuvred around shattered firearms and decapitated bodies, some still spilling blood, others with their nerves causing a limb to throb. The White Devil half-smirked when the doors holding the prisoner were tampered with, hands able to pull apart and destroy the mechanism within. Doktor had done him proud hacking into the security systems.

He stepped in, staring at the woman on the table with her head buried in her knees. The back up lights in the room had been destroyed, torn into shards of plastic and glass. Sliding his sword back in his sheath, he crossed his arms and said "Quite the massacre you pulled off out there for such a young girl like you, Siryn."

"You must be Raiden," she said, her words riddled with a faint, bubbly American accent and he watched carefully as the silver ball jumped on the heated muscle. "Or shall I say Jack the Ripper. I've been waiting."

"Maybe, but I'm not The Ripper... _Not now."_ The woman looked up and Raiden blinked in surprise. Her head was half shaven, the other side flowing with inky hair, her brows thin and skin like toffee. Her lips were full and at an angle looked like she was pouting, two streaks of soft lip-gloss. Her burgundy one-sleeved crop top hugged her upper body while her right, inked arm stayed bare and leather pants with dark, ankle boots; battle-damaged but intact. Her auburn, marble eyes glistened in the darkness and she stood, stepping to the cyborg. To be honest, she looked younger in the pictures.

"Then who are you?"

"Raiden. I've been sent on a mission to get you out of here."

The girl crossed her arms, "Why? Am I not safe here?"

"You're a test subject for something they call Operation: Siryn. Of course you're not safe here."

_"Hm..."_

"Look," he grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly, causing her eye to bulge in surprise. "You're the only Conduit alive in the world right now. You can't stay endangered for longer, can you?"

He let go of her as she peered at the floor, _"No..._ No I can't."

"Then I need to get you out of here."

"Not even a single cut..." The woman's eyes travelled down the cyborg's frame, no essence of lightning leaking out and the muscles in her face pushed her brow upwards. "Why should I trust you? I mean, I know who you are but you could easily double-cross me like all the rest did. I may be the dishonoured Bioterrorist but I still have feelings."

"All things do, Siryn, even a cyborg."

"Fine, _but first,_ where's my blades?" He removed his hand from his back and she smiled, taking her hip sheathes from his grip. "Thank you, Raiden." Just as she put it on, the building shook aggressively, so much the pair fell onto the floor.

"What was that?"

_"He's here..."_ She scrambled to her feet and Raiden followed her, not far behind. "Merde! He's here!"

"Who's here?"

"The BLACKLIGHT Virus." _Alex Mercer? What would he want with a girl like her?_ "He's coming for me... _Shit!_ Come on, we need to get out of here!" Her palms snapped against the air and the double doors that were in their way flew off its hinges, Raiden's eye widening and lips parting in disbelief. She really was the Bioterrorist, the girl everyone wants to take and experiment on, but with this kind of fighting she's putting on, they'd be lucky enough to get a strand of her hair.

"Hold it!" Said one of the several Blackwatch cyborgs that skidded into the junction of the corridors and she scowled. Just when he was about to reach for his blade, she focused her concentration into her palms and let the energy spill just as she flicked her hands. In that swift movement, curling red and orange scorched on her skin and she tilted her head up, the cyborgs slightly stunned by the display of superhuman talent.

"I don't have time for this," she spoke through barred teeth before fire curled around her arms and directed it towards them with a forceful gesture, the intensity licking harshly against the black garments. Tensing her muscles, she took a step back and calmed down the flames to flickers and tightened her hands. "Raiden," she tilted her head towards her acquaint. "Cover your ears... Or whatever you hear from."

"Don't tell me you're gonna—"

"Scream? Huh, I beat you to it." She drew in a breath and using her stored telekinetic energy, pushed it to her vocal chords and screamed. His hands came up just in time as the force from her throat summoned a counter shockwave, pushing him back a step while the burning frames in front were blasted into the wall, but it was more than enough to create a jagged hole in the vertical surface. Just as the flames dissipated, she smirked as she sprinted to the hole but stopped just as she neared it, turning her whole body. "You coming or not?"

"I'm not so sure about this."

"Didn't you see what I did there? I blew a fucking hole in the wall by screaming but if you did it, not even a scratch."

"Your point being?"

"Telekinetic power. I'll slow down your fall... That's if you don't want the fall to be more fun." She straightened up and saluted him, _"Au revoir, mes ami!"_ Without warning, she fell back and he rushed to catch her, his hands just about grazing her sleeve and his lip spiked upwards.

_"Dammit!"_ As if his day couldn't get any worse, an attack chopper hovered to his level and he peered down, it was quite the drop. Disregarding the aerial vehicle, he swore to himself before leaping forward, twisting his body to avoid the rockets that shot out.

He didn't understand when she meant that Alex Mercer, the cause of both Outbreaks, was after her. But how did she know? She isn't a telepathic, but could her awareness be stronger than his? Of course, Bioterrorists are linked to their abilities because of their reactions to everything. Well, _possibly._ Considering the fact that she was about to be cut open, being more aware of everything is better than nothing. But he had this feeling, like he was being stared at but it wasn't one of those _'Oh, look, a falling cyborg'_.

Raiden widened his eye when he finally figured it out and when he did, he glimpsed at one of the tallest buildings and saw it. He saw it standing on the tallest one there; with its hands stuffed in its pockets and he could imagine it grinning down at him. Alex Mercer had finally woken up. _"Shit..." _Something happened to his body, and he twisted out of his vulnerable descend and prepared for the impact, bending his knees as soon as his feet smacked the concrete, hard. His kinetic energy grew into a shockwave, blasting back everything that wasn't fastened to the ground metres away from its initial point, the ground cracked and dented under him. Realising it was Siryn's doing, he heard a sharp whistle and turned his head towards it, the woman calling him over with a gesture.

"Don't tell me you saw him too."

"Why are you so afraid?"

"Why can't I be? I don't wanna be infected."

"You can't. You're a Conduit."

"I can be _defected._ Raiden, I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'm here to get you out of here."

"But how? There's no way you can get out the city without passing checkpoints. And they wont allow a Bioterrorist like myself past without questioning… Or death. And I don't want to die."

"I'll try."

"But, thanks... For getting me out of there." He wore a smug look but felt his feet lift off the ground as Siryn pushed him away from the stomp of the virus, his figure rolling on the concrete before he found purchase, twisting back onto his feet. Instantly obtaining his HF blade, he held out a protective hand while pointing the tip at the hooded man. It was haunting, the way his silvery eyes would look upon you and think of you as prey.

"What a surprise," he said, not even bothered by the weapon as he moved closer, hands in his pockets. "We both want the same girl. But only one of us can keep her."

_"Hey,"_ she pointed and stepped towards him. "I'm not a fucking pet."

"Siryn, get behind me, _now!"_

"Who said that, Siryn?"

"He indirectly call—Hm?" She turned around and peered at the cowering buildings above them, this strange feeling washing over her as if she felt this Tidal wave crash into her.

"What's wrong?"

"Something's not right. _I... I don't know._ I have this really bad vibe all of a sudden... _Oh no."_

"What?"

Her pupils contracted. "Something's coming."


	3. Outbreak

_**I rushed into this a bit, but I hope you still like it. Enjoy Reading! ;)**_

* * *

**Outbreak**

He sat on the platform edge, smiling to himself as he let time and nature do the work. All it would take was at least a couple days and half of the city would be infected by the REDLIGHT Virus. As told by many, he's the perfect incarnation of BLACKLIGHT but that doesn't mean he couldn't enter GENTEK and steal that waiting vial of REDLIGHT, either. And since the virus had banished four months ago and ZEUS didn't fulfil his wish, he's gonna have to do it himself. Besides, what's the point of being a virus if you can't infect anything?

But deep down, he knew ZEUS was fighting his way out of Alex Mercer's body. Fighting for resistance and possession but Alex was intellectual and finally knew how to control the Devil inside. With all that biomass he consumed, he was almost indestructible.

All it took was a simple body hack and ZEUS was back.

OoOoO

"What do you mean something's coming?" Raiden asked her, grabbing her arm to bring her attention back to her surroundings. He could read the puzzling fear in her eyes, the flame that was once there reduced to a dependent spark. "Siryn, answer me!"

"My name isn't Siryn. That's my... Stupid codename. I'm Valérie May Tessien, Val for short. Stop calling me Siryn, _please."_

"Fine. _Val,_ what are you feeling?"

"I don't know if this is true, but while I was still in GENTEK, I overheard two scientists talking about how Mercer and PARIAH are already problems to Manhattan, and how they don't need another problem they can't get out of. But then... _I felt him."_

_"Who?!"_

She swallowed, hard. "PARIAH. It was like spiders crawling all over your skin... He was there, standing over me, saying that the next time we meet, it'll be too soon." Both men glared at each other with hidden agitation, could she be right?

"Who the hell is PARIAH?"

"The perfect incarnation of the BLACKLIGHT Virus—"

"But is the son of the host of the REDLIGHT Virus, Elizabeth Greene."

"According to McMullen," Alex informed them, that casual tone still apparent in his voice and Val slowly craned her neck, her teeth barring in anger. "He could be the final purpose of all life on Earth."

She ripped her arm from Raiden's grasp and stormed towards the demon, tightly gripping his jacket and pulling him forward, their eyes level. "How can you be so fucking calm about this?! Everyone in this city is in danger, and you can fucking smirk about this?"

"I'm not calm about this. Actually, I'm quite pissed off. You don't wanna see me when I'm pissed off."

"I thought you were scared of him," Raiden reminded her.

"Not anymore. This guy's a pisstake." On the last word, she released him and moved, heading for the opening of the alleyway. "Besides, I knew he was coming for me. I just didn't wanna stall." Halting as she entered the main road, her breath was stolen from her as her eyes caught something running in the distance. She wasn't sure… No, no, it was impossible. Brawlers. Dark ones with pulsing red muscles, hopping across rofftops. Val stepped back in horror, the nightmare actually coming to life. The REDLIGHT Virus. _"Guys...!"_

"What?!" They jogged to her side and Alex made a non-committal hum, the beasts diving for the junction blocks away and ripping to bloody shreds anything with a pulse.

"Brawlers?"

"Val, how did you—"

"REDLIGHT... This is bad, guys. This is _very, very bad._ If this infects the whole city—"

"Then we gotta stop it," the demon told her, peering at the Bioterrorist and for a second, he thought he saw red light flicker in her hair.

"How the hell do we do that?"

"What you do to every virus... Kill it."

"But what if this virus has a rare mutation and these antibodies can't kill it?" Val did have a point.

"Then we find a stronger antibody."

"But this isn't going to be easy."

"Nobody said it was."

"What if I don't wanna do this?"

"Well then," he stepped into her personal space and stared down at her, his cocky smile back on his face. "I'm going to have to force you, even if it means pulling you by the hair."

"Wait, wait—are you _threatening me?"_

"Red Crown," her ears picked up this clear voice and she glanced up, a chopper miles away from her and her heart skipped a beat, they fucking found me. "I've got a clean visual on Siryn. Preparing to engage, over."

_"No, no, no..."_ Taking off in the opposite direction, she felt her leg muscles take her further and faster with every step, her back slightly bent forward and her arms working like stiff pistons. Bullets whizzed past her ears and engraved themselves in the road behind her and she rose a brow, the wind through her hair a new, wanting sensation. Peering at her feet, she marvelled at the red lightning dancing away as her legs were at work.

"What the—what does she think she's doing?" Raiden asked Alex, a noticeable, worried expression on his face, in stark contrast to the virus' cool expression.

"Running away from that chopper." Raiden turned to him.

"Why?"

"You just freed a test subject; GENTEK would wanna try and get it back." They monitored Val, as she used the building dead ahead of her to her advantage and moved along it, every step on the bricks creating a static ripple. "But she has so much potential, it's scary."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just watch." She made sure she was at least a metre above the chopper before she slapped her feet together and pushed off, this trail of electricity seeping out at her hands and boots. Raiden stepped forward as he tracked her, and parted his lips in wonderment as she brought out her blades and landed on an invisible platform near it, the rotary blades whipping her hair.

_"Holy_ shit!" The pilot called out, spinning the chopper around to stare at the girl crouching in mid-air. "How is she doing that?!"

"None of your goddamn business!" She shot forward and drove her electrified wakizashis through the nose, splitting the pilot in two and blood splattered on her top, the swipe clean enough to not cause an explosion. She found purchase on a neighbouring building and laughed to herself, but froze as she felt at least two sticky bombs the size of her fist, one on her thigh and the other on her wrist. "Son of a—"

The former child soldier inhaled sharply as he heard something detonate behind the falling chopper and sliding his sword into the sheath, he burst into a sprint and leapt over the cars in his way, pedestrians gawking at the sight of an actual cyborg.

His eyes stayed focused on the falling frame but he contemplated his surroundings, a car stuck at a traffic light with a truck behind it. Utilising its position, he changed course and headed for the car, the driver inside yelling at the suicidal man running in his direction. Quickly, he hopped on the roof of the vehicle before scaling the truck in one constant move, looking at the building next to him.

Val was close to kissing hard terrain and Raiden was wasting time on the truck, so he jumped and landed on the side of the structure, darting along it at top speed with Alex marvelling at his determination while taking care of the Brawlers. When there was no more brick left, he rocketed and used the irreparable aircraft as a springboard, performing an aerial flip and shaping his body to catch Val in a way in which he wouldn't hurt her.

He groaned as he smacked into another wall, digging his nails to slow down their descent and spotted another chopper headed for him, but something blurred past him and he blinked. Alex had smashed through the window and missile drop-kicked the side of the chopper, sending it spinning wildly with the rotary blades alight. _"How did he...?"_

He landed at the same time as Alex and gazed at him with an sceptical eye. There was something off about him; his hood was down and the cyborg caught a better look at the ex-scientist. He had a head full of brunette, curly hair and his face stayed baby-smooth but there was a faint line. _Very faint,_ going from the left side of his jaw to the corner of his mouth. _A scar?_ What from, or better yet, how was it possible? _"Surprised?"_

"You think?"

"Well, seeing as it's your first time watch a man be able to dropkick a chopper, I can't really blame you."

_"Hmm..."_ He glared at Val, who had several bruises, before turning away from the demon and felt a slender hand clamp on his shoulder.

"And where do you think you're going?" Alex asked, his lips stretching into a maniacal smile.

"I'm going to find somewhere safe for Valérie."

"And where's that?"

Raiden hesitated. "I... _I'll find one."_

"No need. I've got a place but it'll be kinda hard to explain to Dana."

"Your wife?"

"No! She's my sister."

"Huh, didn't sound like it. Okay, Alex, lead the way."


	4. Bioterrorist

**_There may be a slight change to Raiden and Alex's personalities only because I did tweak it a bit. Alex's the sarcastic, usually outwardly cold one while still keeping his dark undertones, Val's the psychopathic powerhouse and Raiden's the serious, deadly older brother._**

**_Well, that explains everything. Enjoy Reading! ;)_**

* * *

**The Bioterrorist**

Valérie grunted softly as she started regaining consciousness, feeling the hard leather of furniture underneath her body and she stretched her arms, pushing up with a palm and propping up an elbow for support. "Where the hell-"

"She's awake," she heard a hoarse yet alluring voice rush into her head and she winced, the tremor from the sticky bombs still the source of her migraine.

"Glad you could wake up when you did, Val." This voice was much more rich but still scary as hell.

"Mercer, leave the girl alone. You can't just bombard her like that."

_"And?"_

"Can you please just shut the fuck up for one moment? Both of you?" She pulled herself up and scratched her scalp, spotting a full glass of water and stole it from the coffee table, downing it in seconds. She let out a refreshing sigh, "Oh, I needed that... Raiden._ Raiden?_ You alright? You seem kinda on edge."

"To maintain this body, I need electrolytes and nano-repair pastes, but with no cyborgs around, I can't risk getting damaged. So, yeah, you could say that." At that moment of time, a brunette had walked in but Val's eyes were already at the bedroom door, and the woman closed the door drastically slow. "You gotta plan?"

_"Wait, wait, wait._ You're a cyborg?" The woman asked in fascination, glaring at him with hard, silvery eyes. She had it too, but it was clear she wasn't infected. Her skin still had that humanly glow to it. "He's a cyborg?"

"Yes, Dana, he's a cyborg. Get used to it."

She turned to Val, "So you must be Siryn. The only Conduit alive right now."

"Valérie Tessien." She put her foot up and rested her folded arms on her raised knee, someone was thoughtful enough to take off her shoes while she was out cold. She smiled, and what a gorgeous smile it was, "Call me Val."

"I'm Dana, Alex's younger sister."

"And that's Raiden..._ Mm,_ he's not much for social situations."

"And how would you know that, Tessien?"

"Someone who works alone would want to stay alone, it's not that hard to figure out. But then again, you're not the only one." She peered past Dana and she pivoted to see where Val was looking, raising her brows when she found Alex pushed into a corner with his arms crossed.

"Shut up, Val, before your existence becomes fatal."

"Fine, fine. Speaking about existence, I'm beginning to question mine. I mean, why am I still alive?" Raiden felt her change of emotion and glanced over at her, watching the glint in her eyes suddenly darken. "I don't deserve to be here... Honestly, I don't."

"No negativity, Val. Major Outbreak happening as we speak."

"But I can't, Alex! I'm the sorta girl that speaks what's on my mind to pass time, and this is on my mind. I shoulda died with the rest of them but now I'm stuck here, debating about my life with a ninja cyborg, a catastrophic virus and his sister. It just doesn't make sense."

"Of course it makes sense."

"How?!"

"Someone doesn't want you leave. Not right now."

"Raiden's right," Dana agreed with the cyborg. "If you're still here, maybe you're destined for something."

"That's destiny, not reality. Destiny is something that was meant to happen to someone until you realise it was just pure luck." She sighed and stood up, stretching on her toes before spinning lazily to face the trio. "If you need me, I'll be on the rooftop." And with that, she vanished in a puff of fiery ash.

"What's just happened to her?" Dana asked quickly, hearing feet gently connect with the wooden floor. "She just disappeared... _Shit..."_

"She teleports._ That's a switch."_

"Maybe she needs some time alone."

"For what? Like you said, she's volatile and whatever she's trying to do could get her killed."

"What could get her killed, Alex? _Hm?_ Because, according to her, she's resilient to most diseases and knows how to hold herself. I saw the cameras at GENTEK, and she proved that she can take care of herself."

"Yeah," Raiden interjected as he stood, heading towards the balcony. "She's pretty skilled with her powers but something tells me it's not up to her full potential considering the fact that she just woke up from a one-year coma."

"One-year coma? That doesn't make sense."

"Yeah, it does, Alex. Val was affected by the Blast of New Marais but fell into a coma rather than dying. It was only a couple months before she woke up that GENTEK found her."

"But how did they know she was a Conduit?"

"That, I don't know. I'll just have to hack more files then."

"Guys," Raiden came rushing in, gaining the attention of the Mercer siblings. "Val's gone!"

"What? How could she leave without her..." Dana trailed off as she glared at the space she put her boots, only to find the footwear not there. "She's gonna get herself killed."

"But where would she go?"

OoOoO

She took cover behind an unoccupied vehicle and peered from it, spotting the truckload of that nano-repair paste and electrolyte crap going into the base. Pressing her back against the car door, she calmed down her nerves and shook off her fear. Her fear of becoming extinct. "Promise you hold this against me later, Raiden. Alright, here goes nothing."

Diving forward, her arms outstretched and fire scorching on her arms, she vanished through the wall and reappeared beside the truck, the BLACKWATCH troopers on the other side. "I need to take out all of them... But where's the big guy? He was there."

"And who are you hiding from, sweet-cheeks?" Her heart slammed on her ribcage and she swore to herself, diving away from the brute's heavy swing and revealing herself to the horde of troopers. Shit! Okay, there's a least a swarm of the black-wearing guys and one big guy. _Okay, I can do this. Raiden, I hate you for this._

"You bastard!" She grunted as she summoned a handful of fire in both hands and quickly teleported away from an enemy's line of fire, before feeding the flames to the lonely APC. Grinning at the distraction she caused, she flash-stepped to the top of the trunk and attempted to move again, but the ash got as close as swirling by her feet. "Shit... I can teleport! My powers!"

"I gotta shot on the Bioterrorist," someone said to her and she tilted her head, the brute aiming a Javelin at her. Growling in rage, she leapt and materialised in front of him, her feet making harsh contact with his face and she swapped around fire for telekinetic energy, the force sweeping him off his feet.

_"Holy shit! Did you see that?!"_  
_"Where is she?!"_  
_"She fucking disappeared!"_

"Nope," she reappeared with a battered car over her head, her head bowed down to hide the darkness in her eyes. "Still here, assholes." With all her might, she dashed it and slid towards the RPG launcher, only for hands to hoist her off her feet and coil around her neck but the city sounds suddenly vanished from her senses. The sudden impact of the car, the alive ones shouting orders, the dying saying their last words.

_Focus._

_What?_

_Focus. All you need to do is focus._

_Why would I wanna listen to you?_

_Because I'm your last resort._ Now,_ focus._

The grip tightened but Val inspected her attacker, scanning for his weak points. Black dots began to dance in her sight and she gritted her teeth, pushing herself away from the soldier and got as far as her boots pressed against his upper torso.

"Don't you run away from me!" He yelled, grabbing her arms and pulling her but she loosened a limb and blasted his visor, causing him to let go of his prey and stumble about in pain. "Somebody get her!"

When she dodged the blade, she came in for the taking when the cyborg least expected it and kicked the katana out of his hand, jolted hard at the back of his knee causing him to drop painfully and punched a hole in his midsection, pulling out his electrolyte pack. The one with the assault rifle was next and fired upon her, only for the weapon to be ripped from his grasp and struck onto his crotch. Bending over in extreme pain, she axe-kicked him onto his face and dived to the next person who was pushed to the floor and stabbed in the back with his own shock baton. Since she couldn't disorientate the guy holding the shield, she simply stole it from him and smiled devilishly as it exploded in seconds.

She loet another growl bellow in the depths of her throat as she sensed more troopers surround her, and lightning instinctively sparked on her fingertips. _Focus, all I need to do is focus_. They advanced her, unaware of the light becoming bigger and more intense, but she didn't do some grand finishing move. She smirked as she carelessly tossed the compressed ball of electricity and she popped on the truck again, lifting her head up. _"Sayonara, biatches."_

Saluting them, fiery ash replaced the Bioterrorist and the hijacked vehicle and before they could retaliate, the ball discharged and emitted an electrical shockwave, paralysing the figures within its radius.

The strength of teleporting a larger object than herself took effect and she reduced to her knees, the door to the safehouse's fire exit slamming against the wall. "Valérie. Valérie! Where the... _Shit! Val?"_

"I'm fine, Raiden. I just..." Blood trickled out of her nostril and she wiped it away, the effect suddenly creating a whirlwind in her mind. "I just... Went to go get some supplies for your body."

"What?"

"I heard a chopper talking about it... About how their new cyborgs are fitted with electrolytes and all that crap... So I went to get the truck that had it."

"You didn't have to risk your life to save mine."

"But I wanted to. I didn't want to sit around, wasting my time protecting myself. Like I said, I'm more aware of... _Everything..."_ Slipping off the truck, Raiden opened his arms and caught her, her eyes half-lidded in searing pain. It was scary, though, it was as if he was reading her emotions, wanting to dive into her thoughts and listen to what she was thinking about. About how it was to feel endangered for the first time in her life. Feel unwanted by almost everyone in New York Zero.

"Thank you."

"Pas de probleme." He set her down with her shoulder pressed against the vehicle and his hands held onto her waist. Security. Safety. That what she felt, and it didn't feel right. Not in the slightest. Not that his hands on her waist bothered her.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah." Raiden moved away from her and smiled, actually smiled, at the sight of cratefuls of electrolyte packs and repair units.

"Although you were an idiot for putting your life on the line, you did well Val."

"Valérie?" She heard another voice call her name and she turned her head, the hooded man walking out of the shadows but she knew he wasn't mad at her. She could feel it. He didn't have a reason to be mad at her. He wasn't close to being 'like family'. "Val-"

_"Alex..."_ She balled her fists and watched him carefully. "Listen to me. I've been thinking about all of this and... I've made up my mind. What I said before was selfish and predictable for someone like me to not stop this city from dying, or not stop themselves from dying. But I've realised something. I've been surviving this long, but what for? _So..._ I've decided that I'll help you stop this Beast, but under one condition. You help me find myself, because I have a lot of pieces to complete this puzzle of my existence."

"And I'll help you too," the cyborg insisted as he hopped out of the truck's interior with a crate in hand. "Since I have to look after this girl."

"I'm 21, _not_ 16."

"That's what they all say."

"But I am."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Hey!"

Alex's smile couldn't diminish from the moment she spoke. And neither could hers, gradual but shy. "So," she shrugged with her arms outstretched. "Whaddaya say? You ready to go batshitcrazy on the people who made us like this?"

"I was made for this."

"No, we were made for this."

* * *

**_I know, usually there wouldn't be a balcony in a safehouse (herp derp) but I imagine this apartment in a certain way. Don't ask me how, that's just how it is._**


	5. Nix

**_It seems like I'm giving Val more light during combat and it's only so that you get used to her skills. You guys know how Alex and Raiden fight, but each fight scene will be as detailed as the last._**

**_Enjoy Reading! ;)_**

* * *

**Nix**

"What now, Dana?" Val asked as she paced up and down the living room, almost long enough to be creating marks in the floor.

"Well, according to this, there's a department in Oakhurst where scientists are exposing BLACKWATCH members to Ray Field Energy." Val stopped in her tracks.

"Ray Field Energy? How can they have that? They don't know how to handle stuff like that."

"What's Ray Field Energy anyway?"

"It's what got us Conduits unlocked in the first place," she told Raiden, extinguishing the fire in her palm. "Without it, I wouldn't be here. The downside is that it either knocks you out during the process, or you endure minutes, hours, possibly days of torture. I got it the easy way."

_"So,_ what now?"

"We go inside and kill the fuckers. It shouldn't be that hard."

"Of course not. Stealth is my speciality." Val peered out the doors to the balcony, this faint buzzing sound in her ears, like a massive fly was orbiting her head.

"Do any of you hear that?"

"And you said I was going crazy," Alex huffed, looking away from the Bioterrorist and crossing his arms in defiance.

"You mean that purple crystal thing? Yeah, damn thing was annoying so I left it in the truck."

She gasped, _"Purple crystal thing?"_ Performing her vanishing trick once again, the two were forced off the sofa and took the stairs outside the apartment to the rooftop, Alex pushing his shoulder against the fire exit and Raiden crossing his arms. In seconds, she hopped out of the inside and waved it in the air.

"Why are you so excited about that?" Alex asked, not needing to cup his hand around his mouth.

"It's a Blast Core, this purple crystal thing fuelled with Ray Field Energy enough to up my powers. Now stand back, fellas, it might get ugly."

"Um... We are back."

"Shut up. Well, here goes something," and she took in a breath before pushing a surge of electricity through it and letting the raw energy rocket through her nerves. She screamed and was lifted off her feet, Raiden instantly having doubts about the whole thing.

The twosome examined with silvery eyes as her body was covered with a violet glow from head to toe, but suddenly she exploded in a purple light and collapsed onto the floor. "I had a right to be worried about this," the cyborg informed the man next to him, breaking out of his casual pose to jog to the Bioterrorist. When he neared her though, he held his breath.

Val was breathing heavily with her fist tightened so much that her knuckles went a deep red but there was something off about her. Surely there wasn't white in her hair, he was certain of it. But when she started talking, her voice was faint, but somewhat entertained. Her Inner Devil very abruptly found herself in power, and yelled for a moment's release. _"Let me out! I need to be free!"_

"Shut up!" Her voice was back but strained and Raiden had to believe in what he was seeing: Val was battling with the devil inside. Val, or whatever was in control of her body, struggled to sit up, "I don't... _Need you!_ You know that! So stop trying to interfere!"

_"But you can't stop me, Val! You never will!"_

"No, stop!" She shuddered and just when he was about to help her up, she lifted her head and opened her eyes that was more chromatic than before. It was still auburn but there was this permanent glint that made her seem... _Predatory._

"Valérie?"

She smiled; her top canines were longer and sharper. "Valérie?" She laughed as she began to sit up, "Who's... _Valérie?"_

"You're Valérie."

"That's where you're wrong, Iron Man."

He stepped back, blade already sizzling with blue electricity. "Then who are you?"

"The name's Phoenix. One name, seven letters, two syllables. You can call be Fee or Nix... Actually, call me Nix." She stood inhaling in the old air Raiden exhaled and his brow rose, his eye deceived him. Her eyes weren't auburn anymore, but a blood red. It suited her as well as made her appear beautifully dangerous. Like a Siren.

"Val, what happened?"

"So, she didn't tell you about me did she?" She laughed once, "She never does. It's like that she's afraid of letting go."

"What about you?"

"Under all those layers of her, is me. She uses me as an emergency boost, leverage."

"You make yourself seem like an energy drink."

_"Very funny._ Phoenix May Tessien was her name in the past. My life involved slaughtering people who would try and lay their hands on me. The Reapers in Empire City, oh, they got it good. They got it really good. Kill the bastards with Fury and Power."

"Fury and Power?"

"That's what I named my wakizashis, but I was thinking of changing it. Anyway, while I was doing that, there was a part of me that wanted to stop the killing. Stop it altogether, but I ignored her and kept killing. But then... Something happened."

"What happened?"

Nix turned away from him and held herself in an effort to not let the tears stream down her face, and he saw the electric restraints Val placed on her before she was overwhelmed. "The Reapers ambushed my parents and killed them. That's when I decided to change, and to only kill when forced to. She became Valérie, and I became her Inner Devil. Every time she got pissed, mad, irritated, frustrated... That would be me. Not Vally, she has nothing to do with the fucked-up side of herself."

"So... You're her Jack the Ripper?"

The tears evaporated from her face just before she turned around, her eyebrows slightly drawn together. "You can say that. Alex, sneaking up on me won't work."

The virus sighed acutely, "You're no fun."

"Whaddaya mean? I'm a lot of fun when I-"

_"Disappear!_" Alex moved away from her, he heard that loud and clear but her lips didn't move at all. _"I told you I don't need you, Nix!"_

"What? You can't do this to me!"

_"Yes, I, can! Now go!_" Nix stumbled away from the two and cried out in protest as she felt Val grab her by the hair and drag her back into her little cave. "I only use you when I have to!"

"Val, you can't, no! You can't!"

"_Just let go!"_ Nix gasped and Val smiled in victory as she felt her body being thrown against the virus who stood back in obvious precaution, her nails digging into his arms as she strained against her own will. He just stood there, not knowing what to do. _"Let go..."_

Alex felt her collapse onto him and he tilted her head, the colour of her eyes blending back to its original shade of auburn. She half-smiled at him, but still he was unsure where it was Nix or Val. "Sorry about that. I'll try and make sure it never happens again."

"You sure you're alright?"

"I'll be fine, she's always wanting the extra attention." Even under that smile of hers, Raiden knew better; Val fought for her life to subdue Nix, the beads of sweat on her head told him that. But why would her Inner Devil suddenly come out like that if she knew Val wasn't in any sort of trouble or danger?

Or did she know the truth that was hidden beneath lies? About her? Why she was still alive and breathing?


	6. Gekko

_**I know this is gonna set some people off but just so you didn't know, the snake-like texture doesn't do anything. It's just a goddamn bandage because Doktor didn't manage to repair his eye, not what he uses for the AR display. His visor that slides in front of his face is the display.**_

_**I just had to fume for a second. It's so annoying when people make false statements. Anyways, let's put a new player on the field. Enjoy Reading! ;)**_

_**P.S. Oh my, I just realised something. Revengeance happened in 2018, so this means I'm gonna have to push time to that date for the sake of everything making sense. I hate it when I do that.**_

* * *

**Gekko**

Val kept her head clear and focused on their surroundings as they bolted to the so-called Ray Field Department. Nobody was trying to find them, which was good, but she felt eyes scanning their every move. She'd quickly look up at the buildings but nobody would be there to meet her gaze, which was better. _PARIAH,_ she thought, _why would he wanna start another Outbreak? What was he planning, another Armageddon?_

"I'm feeling something," she told them but slowed down when she heard a moo from her right. "Or _hearing_ something?"

"I heard that too," Alex agreed with her, the twosome's eyes filled with disbelief as they watched his arms ripple black and red, his limbs reconfigured with these metallic claws that just about reached the floor. The blades gleamed in their eyes and he frowned, _"What?"_

"I mean, I know you're a virus and all but, holy shit! I didn't know you could shape-shift."

"That's fucked up."

"Why, thank you Raiden."

"It's not Brawlers," She crouched down and put her palm to the floor, feeling for the slightest vibration. "But something else... _I'm..._ I'm not sure what it is."

"How the hell do you know that from touching the floor?"

_"Seismic sense."_

"So, what next?"

"If whatever's running our way isn't Brawlers, then what the hell is it?"

"APC?"

_"No,_ APCs don't feel like that. They have a constant vibration, even when stationary."

"Then what?"

"I know it's an enemy, but it's a different one. One I've never encountered." She slowly brought out Fury and Power with the opposite hand, bringing them beside her and walking past the two. "Wait a minute, what's that?" She asked, pointing with her dark edged metal.

Raiden narrowed his eye and went down on one knee, swiping the air and summoning the magnifier. "Raiden," Alex stared at him in concern. "Are you high?"

"No, I'm trying to find out who or what that it. And I'd never get close."

_"Oh,_ I see it."

"See what?"

"What he's doing. What is it?"

He blinked and banished it, standing up and she gasped, the charging figure moving faster with smaller ones behind it. Her eyes widened when the targets got closer and Alex growled, scratching his claws on the concrete. What the hell are these doing here?

_"Gekko?!"_ Raiden called out but when he went to look at the spot they occupied, it was vacant and his ears traced back screeching of metal, his eye finding Val taking down the cyborgs that came along with the Gekko and Alex attacking the second Gekko that joined the party. She was lithe and swift, parrying and dodging the enemy's blades with the attribute of a professional gymnast, and fighting back like a true solider on the battlefield. For someone who was in a coma for such a long time, she adapted to combat faster than he thought.

"This is new... Ha, _bullseye!"_ She cried out, turning into one and skewering him through his armour, ducking another swing and performing a lightning-enhanced butterfly kick, shocking and knocking down several soldiers at one time. She spun and dive-rolled away from the Gekko's charged kick, regaining her stance next to her partner. "What you waiting for, Raiden?" She held her wrist up to her lips, and spoke as it there was a little mic on the sleeve, her tone sarcastic but he rolled his eyes nonetheless, _"Backup required."_

She flinched when a black whip embedded itself in Raiden's chest and he let out a hum of alarm, the Gekko trying to reel him in. He thought fast and curled the tough string around his forearm before grasping it, using its weight as an advantage and started gaining momentum by spinning to his left. Val jumped the rope and packed away her swords, smiling as two more troopers came into view. Just at that moment, the Gekko smacked into the ground and created dents with every little bounce. "Valérie... What are you doing!?"

"I know what I'm doing... _Watch it!_" He was too late to parry the Gekko's attack and grunted as he was sent off his feet, and she held out her hand to stop his tumble altogether. "Never lose focus."

Dropping him carefully, she punched the nearest trooper three times before kneeing him in the face hard enough to break his jaw, threw his RPG skywards and finished him off by somersaulting over him, guiding him to the floor and smashing her knuckles onto his skull. She performed a backwards springboard as an attack by blasting another off his feet and came back down, gently tapping them to overload their circuitry. She zipped towards an armed and standing frame, latching onto the man wielding a blade and she smiled, vanishing with him.

Alex peered up as he monitored Val hurl her opponent into a building metres in the air and wiped imaginary dust from her palms, her head tilting to see what was in the distance. Lazily avoiding the Gekko's attack, he finally knew its battle pattern, killing this would be child's play. No, kill wasn't the right word. _Destroy._ He smirked as he felt his fists suddenly weigh him down slightly but it didn't falter his movement as he tore the ground behind him, every step charging up his Hammerfists.

Raiden held his guard as his felt the shockwave crash into him, its force immense enough to shake leaves off their branches, the ground to flop and cars to topple over helplessly. Gripping the hilt of his sparking cutting edge, he parried another spin kick and its leg finally glowed a clear blue in his sight, giving him another advantage as lactic acid spilled from its orifice. He smirked and rammed his weapon in the other leg, causing it to shriek like a provoked animal. Not hesitating for a moment, he leapt into the air and latched onto its _'snout'_, flipping under it and giving him the time to perform Zandatsu.

Val emerged from fiery ash, skidding on the ground with fire trailing behind her and she advanced the battered Gekko, examining for distinctive marks. "What the fuck are these? Mooing, female machines? _Huh,_ now that's something you don't see everyday."

"Gekko," Raiden walked over and absorbed the blue electrolytes in his left hand, crushing the empty sachets afterwards and Val just about spotting the red pulse his eye gave off. _Jack._

"What the fuck is that?" Alex joined in, shaking off the trauma from his right wrist.

"It's an unmanned, autonomous fighting vehicle. But what are they doing in Manhattan?" She moved around it and found an engraved label in its head.

"There's a split image of a skull in red and white."

_"Desperado..."_

"Desperado?" Val repeated. "That sounds familiar."

"Yeah, they're a PMC."

"Private military company," Alex muttered and the Bioterrorist nodded in agreement. "But didn't someone destroy them?"

"He did."

"So why are they here?"

"I guess someone else brought the company to be able to control Manhattan, and I have a feeling I know who did it." There was only one suitable answer and it was clear all three knew who it was.

_"BLACKWATCH."_

"But why would BLACKWATCH wanna buy Desperado?"

"They're bringing in heavy metal because now they've realised that APCs and gunships won't be enough to take down a Conduit, a cyborg and a not-your-average virus."

"But why Desperado? Out of all the others that are out there, why the wrong turn?"

"I would answer that question, but we have _other_ things to worry about." Val looked up and froze in her place, unable to move a single inch as her muscles locked. He was here, her worst nightmare was actually here, his calm purple eyes piercing her skin like lasers as he delicately stroked one of his Brawlers.

PARIAH was here.


End file.
